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Maharashtra says running short of COVID-19 vax ; Health Minister says claims utterly baseless

MUMBAI: Thursday saw a blame game between the shortage and availability of COVID-19 vaccination doses in Maharashtra with the state administration claiming that the existing doses will last only for a few days, while the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan claiming that the charge 'utterly baseless,' without any truth. 

Early in the day state's Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that with the supply for COVID-19 vaccinations running short, several districts have been forced to shut the vaccination process. 

He said that the state was vaccinating close to 6 lakh people daily, which means we need 40 lakh of doses per week. "The state now has 14 lakh doses which would only last for three days," he said further asking, "Why is the Centre discriminating against Maharashtra?"

"I do not want to play the blame game with the Centre, but the fact is I have received the latest release order of vaccine doses from the Centre and according to that, Maharashtra has been given only 7.5 lakh doses, as compared to 48 lakhs to Uttar Pradesh, 40 lakhs to Madhya Pradesh, 30 lakhs to Gujarat and 24 lakhs to Haryana," he said.

Tope further added, "As soon as I saw the order, I immediately spoke to the Health Minister and asked him why a state which has a population of more than 12 crores, has 4.5 lakh active cases, 75,000 deaths, and a positivity rate of 20-25 per cent, has been given this low quantity. He has assured me that he will look into this immediately." 

Later in the day, Mumbai's Mayor Kishori Pednekar told media reporters that the vaccination drive in the city will definitely come to a halt from Friday unless the city gets the supply of vaccines. "The existing stock of vaccine doses could last only till today ie Thursday," she added.

According to reports, with the supply for vaccinations running short, several districts Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Satara have been forced to shut the vaccination process which includes.

Meanwhile reacting sharply Dr Vardhan lashed out at Tope and the state administration, accusing them of trying to cover their 'failures' in containing the pandemic by making 'irresponsible' statements to spread panic among people.

"Vaccine supplies are being monitored on a real-time basis, and state governments are being apprised regularly about it. Allegations of vaccine shortage are utterly baseless," he said.

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